I have some questions for you and the rest of the traditional media (TV, newspapers, magazines, talk radio).
Nightline, this is about your report last night, December 26, 2011.
We understand that you are trying to improve your ratings, you have an obligation to your share holders to try to increase profit.
There are problems in Iraq today, right after US troops have left.
Really?
Why are you airing such a very narrow, manipulative report that screams collapse of society in Iraq resulting from the the US military leaving?
Why is chaos your newest buzzword?
Are you trying to imply that Iraqi society depends on American military force in order exist?
Instead of giving a biased "report" of the end of US military involvement in Iraq today, why don't you do some actual investigative research and give an honest, unbiased report of the end of US military involvement of the first time invaded Iraq and left?
Look into the lies that we were told, the real reasons for the invasions.
Tell what we did while we were there.
Explain how we asked the people to raise up and and help us against Saddam.
Explore the reasons for us leaving.
Show the videos of our troops getting ready to leave while the people we told to raise up begged " Please help us, we are human beings too" as Saddam's troops used the helicopters we left to shoot people like fish in a bucket.
Use your commentary to explain what happened to those very same people after we left.
I guarantee that if you did a week long series on this subject that your viewer numbers would increase every day of the report.
By word of mouth, phone, e-mail, blogging, tweeting.
But not done by you, by people who's judgment is trusted.
Viewers understand the tricks and manipulation used to get people to watch Nightline.
No one is fooled any more. This is not the same world it was 10 years ago.
Maybe by going back to the basics, giving people what they want to watch, telling the truth, exposing corruption, providing interesting information will achieve your goals.
People might even check back to see if you are doing other good work and stay to watch.
Do the same thing on other subjects, ask your viewers what they want to see.
Stop creating fake crises' and expose facts that did not get reported very often in the past. We are getting the truth about the past in all areas of our lives.
Will you be part of giving us what we want by telling the truth about today and the past or will you end up only as part of our past?
People are shaking their heads and changing the channel like I did when you advertised chaos and collapse of Iraq due to US troops leaving.
We now have choices in how we get our information.
Try being fair and honest and we might choose you.
If you don't want to do it, that is your choice, but be aware that others are doing it and you will loose continue to loose viewers as well as profits for your share holders.
Mainstream media is so busy using gimmicks to get audiences that they have stopped reporting facts. I would start reading newspapers and watching mainstream media if they started reporting real unbiased facts.